GREAT SUPERIOR TEAMS…PART 6
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RETURNING, BACK TO THE SUPERIOR STORY
1957 SUPERIOR CENTRAL
COVERING SOME GREAT HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS FROM 1930 THROUGH THE MID-1960’S ON SEVERAL CITY OF SUPERIOR FOOTBALL TEAMS
If opponents of Superior Central football thought that there would begin a period of lean times with a new head coach in 1951, they were wrong. Harry Conley retired from coaching sand continued on as the school’s athletic director. His assistant, Marv Crowley replaced him. The talent cupboard wasn’t left empty and Coach Crowley used his players to near top form. The Vikings posted a 6-3-0 record that first season. Even better things were to come soon on the gridiron for Central. After several good seasons 1952-55 the ball really began to move, figuratively, as Crowley used a powerful running attack.
Prelude to 1957
That type of offensive attack was modified a bit in 1956 as quarterback Lyle Skandel gained nearly 550 yards passing (Eight touchdown passes, 61.0 completion percentage) and 575 yards rushing (A team leading 11 touchdowns and five extra points for 71 total points) in leading Superior Central to a 7-1-0 record. Lyle earned All-State and Honorable Mention All-America.
Superior won their first five games and then met long-time foe, Duluth Central. The Trojans were also undefeated and the game did not go well for the Vikings as they fell 27-13. Duluth Central would end the season undefeated, 8-0-0, scoring 234 points and was acclaimed the top Minnesota team in the north. It was the Trojans first undefeated season since 1931. The following week Superior Central began a 19-game win streak with a 34-13 win over Duluth East. The Vikings loss helped Duluth Central reign as the top team in northern Minnesota. By beating International Falls, the other contender for the top spot in the north, 30-20, Superior paved the way for Trojan honors. Falls had been considered the team above Duluth Central but the defeat to Superior dropped them to an 8-1-0 record. International Falls had won the Iron Ridge Conference title four consecutive years and only losing two other times in that span.
1957
With a lot of returners for the 1957 season, Marve Crowley’s team was again expected to dominate. They did, posting an 8-0-0 undefeated season, their first since 1932. Most of the returners were on the defense as the squad scored 210 points but allowed only 25 as they posted four shutouts. Reports varied but at least 20 passes were intercepted by the defense. They also beat Duluth Central 20-0 in a grudge match. Superior East, the only Wisconsin foe, was downed 33-7. The Vikings may have averaged 26-points a game, but it was the defense that won games.
Senior quarterback Roger Skemp ran for led the team in scoring with nine scores and sophomore Gene Johnson scored five touchdowns. According to the Superior Evening Telegram newspaper in the Bemidji game sophomore center/linebacker Don Kruger intercepted two passes one to set up the final score and the other stopped the Lumberjacks early drive. The paper noted that Kruger had seven interceptions on the season up to then. It was the highest scoring game of the year for the Vikings.
For whatever reason the UPI did not present a statewide high school football poll in 1957. The AP didn’t start their polls until 1964. Only a few Wisconsin teams were undefeated in 1957 along with Superior Central. Scholastic Coach Magazine listed the top teams from each state nationally and only Madison West was listed for Wisconsin although the Central yearbook, the Echo, noted that the 1957 team was rated #1.
In 1957 Don Kruger was an All-State offensive tackle/linebacker. Photo from the 1959 Echo yearbook…His Senior picture.
Take a read of the WFCA page on Coach Crowley...Marvin Crowley - Superior to learn more about tghis outstsanding man. Quite a story.
1958 will be next.